Top Chef, Ariane Goes Home

Ariane was robbed. She didn't deserve to go home. I'm not the only one that thought that. You could tell that Jamie and Carla were shocked that it was Ariane. I also think that Padma really wanted her to stay because she defended Ariane with the other judges. I thought the slackers Radhika or Leah or the wimp Hosea should have been sent packing,

There were some amazing life lessons on Top Chef this week. It is hard to be a third wheel. A team has to have a leader. Don't take on a task when a teammate has more experience performing that task. Speak up if you think you can do something better than a teammate. Even if you dislike a teammate you can work together for the betterment of the team. What you do today is more important than what you did yesterday. A lot of time you can make something tasteful from what other people would see as a throw away. And from the shot at the end of the Top Chef, don't put yourself in tempting positions.

The guest judge for the Quickfire Challenge was Top Chef's season three winner, Hung. He is noted for being the fastest cook in Top Chef history. The Quickfire challenge was to create in fifteen minutes a delicious dish without using fresh ingredients, only using canned and store bought items. The top three were Stefan's baked bean and spam winner soup with grilled cheese and spam sandwich, Hosea's split pea soup with spam, onion rings pork rinds, and hearts of palm, and Jeff's deep fried baby conch with coconuts and pina colada. Stefan won immunity with spam. Can you believe that, these great chefs winning with spam!

For the elimination challenge the group was divided into three teams. Chicken - Carla and arch enemies Jamie and Stefan. Pig - Jeff, Fabio, and Radhika. Lamb - soon to be lovers Hosea and Leah and third wheel Ariane. The elimination challenge was to create a family style meal using for sixteen using fresh farm ingredients. The guest judge for the challenge was Dan Barber executive chef and co-owner of Blue Hill at Stone Barns. The chefs were taken to Stone Farms where they were to get their ingredients, none store bought. The guests for dinner were to be the farmers and chefs that work at Stone Barns

Team chicken got off to a bad start with Stefan and Jamie getting along as well as the Bobbits used to. I gained respect for Jamie for sticking up to Stefan, lost respect for Stefan for not letting the women shine. He had immunity for heaven's sake. With Carla serving as mediator the team settled in on the winning menu. Chicken cutlets, Lemon Herb roasted chicken, chicken ravioli soup and Carla's desert, nectarine and strawberry tartlet. Dan Barber picked all three as the winner!

With Team Pork we really got a team with no leader that ended up basically being three individuals. Team pork was picked in the bottom two mostly because of Radhika's willingness to do very little and Fabio being to heavy handed with the pesto. Team Pork was saved by Jeff's creative thinking and willingness to use tomatoes found on the ground of Stone Farms that would have normally been thrown away to create fried green tomatoes with tomato jam. Radhika and Fabio should be kissing Jeff's shoes.

With Team Lamb we also had a team with no leader. And a team with two members so close to each other, Leah and Hosea, that they shut out the third team member, Ariane. Even though Ariane had no experience butchering lamb and Hosea had a ton of experience doing it Ariane was given the assignment of butchering and tying the lamb. Why didn't Hosea step up to the plate and butcher the lamb? Was he trying to hang Ariane out to dry, therefore, eliminating his competition. Or was Hosea trying to save Leah? Leah's claim to fame for this challenge was doing nothing. Also at the judges' table Leah failed to take any responsibility for her actions. During this season of Top Chef, each week at the elimination failing to take responsibility was the kiss of death and a sure elimination. Not this time. Ariane was sent home.

At the end of Top Chef we see Leah lying on top of Hosea. Leah has a boyfriend at home. Hosea has a girl friend at home. Hosea is quoted as saying "I can't let anything happen," If you aren't going to let something happen why put yourself in that tempting of a position? I know I am terrible at fighting temptation. What I am good at is knowing that I am not good at fighting temptation and not putting myself in a position where I would end up hurting myself or others. I couldn't help but wonder what Leah's and Hosea's significant others were thinking watching that unfold on national television before their eyes. OK, I am really curious. If you were involved with someone and saw them on national TV laying on a bed/couch with a member of the opposite sex, would you be upset? How would you handle the situation? I think I would be hurt but before exploding ask for an explanation. OK, everyone I have an open mind so give me a relationship lesson here. I want to learn as much as I can so when I find the one I am ready!